Adam Breneman, former standout tight end for the Massachusetts football team, announced his retirement from football Tuesday afternoon.
Breneman was expected to be a late-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but a nagging injury will cut that dream short.
In a blog post released around 3:45 p.m., Breneman states a left knee injury he sustained while at Penn State from 2013-15 flared up again this season, forcing the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder to retire.
“When the season ended, I hoped with some time off and without the physical rigors of the season, my knee would begin to feel better,” Breneman said in his post on Medium.com. “However, once I started training daily for the NFL draft in January 2018, I realized my situation had not improved. After additional medical evaluations and creative treatments, my doctors and I have come to the realization that there is no solution that will allow me to continue to play football.”
The UMass football twitter account acknowledged Breneman’s announcement with a tweet wishing the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native well moving forward.
In two seasons with the Minutemen, Breneman hauled in 134 receptions for 1572 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning USA Today All-America Second-Team honors in 2017.
“I will forever be grateful for the opportunities this game has given me,” Breneman said. “But, as they say, all good things must come to end. While this chapter of my life is coming to a close, I look forward to what the future has in store for me and writing the next chapter of my life.”
Ryan Ames can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @_RyanAmes.
